


stranded in their youth

by AlexiaBlackbriar13



Series: lexi's quarantine and chill fics [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Humor, Married Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, New Multiverse Timeline, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, POV Mia Smoak, POV Oliver Queen, Protective Oliver Queen, Quarantine and Chill Fic Drive (Arrow TV 2012), Season/Series 04, Secret Marriage, Smoak-Queen Family, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-18 23:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22668418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexiaBlackbriar13/pseuds/AlexiaBlackbriar13
Summary: Mia accidentally ends up stranded and injured in 2015 after her Time Courier breaks. Oliver and Felicity, who are secretly married and enjoying a long vacation in Ivy Town, find their future daughter panicking in their backyard.A difficult journey begins for them as they try and return Mia to 2041 while avoiding temporal aberrations, all the while dealing with the various trials and tribulations of learning to bond as parents and daughter along the way.
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Series: lexi's quarantine and chill fics [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1672939
Comments: 130
Kudos: 378
Collections: Quarantine and Chill Fic Drive 2020





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> so this started as a oneshot and yeah, i spiralled, and now it's gonna be a multichapter :)
> 
> hope you enjoy!

One second Mia is staggering through the dirty, dodgy backstreets of Star City in 2041, Green Arrow hood thrown down around her neck and blood rushing from a deep knife wound in her side as she fumbles to grab her emergency Time Courier to program it to take her _somewhere safe_ \- and the next, she’s collapsing into thick grass in a suburban backyard.

The pain of her wound is blinding and because of it, in combination with her blood loss, Mia’s mind is spinning. She can barely think straight; her legs and hands are shaky as she attempts to stand but because her weak knees refuse to bear her weight, she ends up falling straight back down onto her ass. Breathing heavily, Mia tries to blearily peer around to figure out where she is, where the Time Courier - which now looks like it’s falling apart - has taken her that constitutes as _safe_.

This is not a place she recognizes. It’s not Star City. The lawn is neat, the grass blades cut short, and there’s a small patio with an outside grill near to the property, which looks to be a nice little detached cul-de-sac house. The lights are on inside and she can see the fuzzy shadows of two figures peering through. A quick glance at the device has her inhaling sharply in shock and horror. Instead of _2041_ on the screen, it says _2015_. She’s been transported back to the past. God, she’s experienced enough time travel for a lifetime. Mia shakes her head frantically, in utter disbelief that this is actually happening to her. Not only has she traveled back in time twenty-six years… the only device able to get her back home is in pieces beside her.

As another spell of dizziness sweeps over her, making her press her sweaty palms into her closed eyes, she hears one of the patio doors swing open. Mia squints at the large silhouette standing in the doorway - male, at least 6 feet tall, heavily built - and rubs her eyes in confusion when she thinks she’s seeing a shorter female figure around 5’5” peering warily out from behind him.

A torch beam dances across the lawn towards her. When it strikes her directly in the face, Mia groans as it assaults her vision, making her feel even more light-headed than before. She raises a hand to try and block the light but it streams through her fingers.

“Oh my god, look at what she’s wearing,” she hears a quiet female _and very recognizable_ voice murmur.

“Hi!” the male calls to her, sounding hesitant and concerned. Oh _god_ , Mia recognizes that voice as well. This can’t be happening. She stares in astonishment as the man takes a confident step out of the house towards her. When Mia jolts at his motion, he passes the torch off to the woman and raises his hands. “Whoa, hey, it’s okay! We’re not going to hurt you. You sort of, um, appeared with a bit of a loud bang and interrupted our dinner. Looks like you have a nasty wound. We can help.”

He takes another step forward. Mia’s fight or flight instincts kick in - and she bolts, overwhelmed with pure panic. The woman releases a cry of distress behind her and the man leaps into pursuit. He catches her by her wrist - and before Mia can even comprehend what she’s doing, she’s swinging around to punch him. He blocks her strike, looking shocked. In the next few seconds, the two of them exchange blows, evenly matched, and the man seems to be so astonished by this that he doesn’t anticipate Mia’s hook around the back of his knee. He sprawls to the ground and as the woman is helping him back to his feet, Mia legs it.

Adrenaline thrums through her veins, flushing out her pain and instead making her feel hunted, desperate to escape no matter what; she sprints for the back fence, which appears to separate the garden from a small forest, hoping that if she vaults it she might be able to lose him in the woods. The fence gets closer and closer - god, this garden is huge! - and as she sprints towards it, Mia asserts in her mind that yes, she can jump this. She’s injured, and her chest feels like it’s full of lead, and she’s beginning to stumble as her head is hammered in - but she _can make it._

Mia’s legs forget that she knows how to jump, and she slams into the fence.

Crumbling to the ground, she stares dazedly up at the swaying trees above her and the twinkling night sky beyond. She’s so screwed. She’s completely and utterly screwed. She hears the man swear viciously as he skids to a halt beside her. Her father’s very young face peers down at her, those familiar blue eyes full of bewilderment. The torch runs over her again as the woman - _Mia’s mom_ \- joins him in standing over her, biting her lip worriedly; when Felicity tries to reach out and gently touch Mia, she flinches.

Her parents. Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak. Incredibly young. Living in Ivy Town in domestic bliss, enjoying their fledgling relationship - or not so fledgling, Mia thinks, because her memories of her universe and the old one are conflicting in her head. In the old universe, her mom and dad have only been together in a few months by this time. But in _her_ universe, the new universe which her father birthed as the Spectre, her parents got together back in 2013.

They were married in a League of Assassins ceremony in the spring of 2015, but kept their marriage secret until their public wedding at Christmas. She remembers the stories her mom used to tell her, the pictures she saw from their private photo albums. Platinum wedding bands on silver chains around their necks, hands liked by their pinkies, and knowing, pleased smirks on their faces. So right now, they must be married by League law, but not married publicly. The entire concept of having to merge the histories of two different multiverses is blowing Mia’s mind, just making her feel nauseous and sick.

“You’re wearing an Arrow suit,” Felicity whispers incredulously. “ _Why_ are you wearing an Arrow suit? _How?_ ”

“Who are you?” Oliver demands, sounding curious and mystified rather than angry and suspicious.

Mia vaguely knows that she’s not actually meant to admit anything that could jeopardize what is to come and what could and will happen when it comes to time travel, but she’s so out of it that she doesn’t care. Blackness creeping into the edge of her vision as she struggles to blink up at her parents, she manages to slur, “M’name’s Mia, ’m from the future,” just as her eyes flutter shut, fatigue and darkness overtaking her.

* * *

There’s a strange girl in an Arrow costume who claims she’s from the future passed out on his back lawn, and all Oliver can think about is how pissed off he is that she interrupted the wonderful re-proposal he’s been planning for the last month. Felicity insists that they take her inside the house, because there’s obviously some weird stuff going on and they will definitely need to identify and question the young woman. Since his wife is a genius and almost always right, Oliver reckons that listening to her is the best plan, so sweeps the girl into his arms.

She’s incredibly light as he carries her, wavy blonde hair loose and being blown about by the faint late summer breeze. There is something utterly terrifying, Oliver thinks, about how much she looks like Felicity; judging by his wife’s confused and worried expression, she’s thinking the exact same thing. The Arrow suit she’s wearing, perfectly fitted to her lean but muscular form, is lined with Kevlar and is a lot more advanced than the suit Oliver used to wear as the Arrow, before he and Felicity took off from Starling on their secret honeymoon slash round-the-world tour. Their house, fortunately, has a spare bedroom. Oliver gently sets the unconscious girl down on the double bed and then, wanting to take precautions, snaps a handcuff onto her right wrist and cuffs her to the bedframe. She didn’t seem violent at all, just completely terrified, but it’s better to be cautious.

“And here’s to think, just this morning when we were having brunch with the Hoffmans, I thought nothing wild or wacky would ever happen in suburbia paradise,” Felicity chokes out a laugh. “She said her name is Mia? And she’s from the _future?_ ”

“I don’t know if I believe that,” Oliver replies. “If I take a DNA sample, can you run it through the system and see if there are any records of her?”

“I’ll do a facial recognition review as well,” Felicity nods. “She - Oliver, am I going crazy, or did it seem like she _recognized_ us back there? I mean, what’s she’s wearing… the quiver on her back… we know that time travel is possible because Barry just can’t seem to stop himself messing with it, so is there a chance that…” She trails off mid-sentence, but doesn’t need to complete it, because Oliver understands what she’s asking.

The implied question hangs in the tense atmosphere: is this young woman really from the future and what relation does she have to them?

They take a small blood sample and a photo of her, and she doesn’t stir during either process. Oliver treats the wound on ‘Mia’s’ side while Felicity sits in the corner on a beanbag, laptop resting on her knees as she does her searches. It doesn’t take long to clean it with antiseptic and wrap it with gauze and bandages. Their first-aid kit here in the house is nowhere near as extensive as the ones they had in the Foundry, but that’s because their vigilante days are behind them. They’ve only needed the kit so far to deal with some kitchen accidents and work-out mishaps.

“This girl doesn’t exist!” Felicity growls in frustration, after ten minutes of gaining absolutely no intel. Oliver crosses the room to rub her shoulders soothingly, peering down at the screen. “There’s no trace of her anywhere. There’s no information about her - and I checked literally _every_ database in the world. It’s almost as if she -”

“- Appeared out of nowhere,” Oliver finishes, rubbing his neck. “Okay, so let’s presume that she _is_ from the future. Is there any way we can - I don’t know. Isn’t there lineage testing? Can you trace her parents, or grandparents or something?”

Felicity’s eyes light up and she kisses his cheek. “You, my love, are incredibly smart.”

He preens under her praise, smiling. She brings the girl’s genetic code back up on the side of her screen as she prepares the program to insert it into. Oliver is drawing the blinds and curtains closed so their nosy neighbors won’t be able to peer in and see the passed out vigilante on the bed when his wife releases a sharp gasp of shock. He instantly wheels around and rushes back to her, running his eyes up and down her concernedly.

Taking in her gobsmacked expression, he asks promptingly, “Felicity?”

“Um,” she starts, her voice wavering. “Haven’t - haven’t put her DNA into the algorithm yet. That’ll take at least two hours to evaluate and compile parental matches. But -” She blinks up at him, and Oliver is alarmed by how _shaken_ she appears. “I’ve performed enough genetic analyses of our DNA in the last four years that I practically know our personal sequences off by heart by now and -”

Oliver freezes. “What are you saying?” he breathes.

She audibly gulps. “I might just leave it to my code instead of my eyes,” she mumbles. “Get an actual confirmation. It will - it will be a lot more reliable.”

“Felicity.” She glances up at him, biting her lip. Oliver shakes his head when he sees there are tears brimming in her eyes. He steels himself, shoving down the panic that’s constricting his lungs, and questions warily, “This girl, is she our kid from the future?”

Felicity doesn’t respond.

It’s a response in itself.

Oliver stumbles back until his weight is resting against the wall so he can slide down it onto the floor, his brain whirring a hundred miles a minute and making him dizzy with all the possibilities. Mia, from the future - _his and Felicity’s daughter_. It strangely makes too much sense; her striking similarity in appearance to his wife, and the fact she’s apparently carrying on his legacy as the Arrow. Her name… Mia… it’s what Oliver’s grandfather nicknamed Moira when she was young. Oh god. He and Felicity are going to have a baby in the future, they’re going to have a _whole ass child_. But when in the future? Mia has to be in her early twenties. What year is she from? When was she born? When _will she be born_? Oliver has about a billion questions that he knows that, per the laws of time travel, she’s not going to be able to answer.

“If she is who we think she is, we can’t let her know that we know,” Felicity murmurs, raising her chin so she can glance over the top of her laptop at the young woman. “We’ll have to prod for intel but we can’t risk disrupting whatever timeline she’s from. And then, of course, we’re going to have to figure out a way to get her back to whatever year she’s from. Probably using that broken device she arrived here with.” She raises an eyebrow at Oliver. “You have to admit it is a _little_ bit of a weird coincidence that she turned up tonight considering just this morning the Hoffman’s were talking about us having children and putting them on school waiting lists.”

Oliver stares at her. “We’ve never had that discussion.” They’ve been together for over two years now and secretly married for a good six months. They’ve never had a proper conversation about having children before, though. Sure, they might have mentioned it in passing - Oliver has always assumed that kids would happen someday, and he’s _wanted_ kids with Felicity ever since he saw how amazing she was when Diggle’s twins, baby JJ and Sara, were born. 

“Yes, well…” Felicity motions at Mia. “We evidently do sometime in the future, since she will apparently exist.”

‘She’, their adult daughter from the future, stirs minutely on the bed, tossing her head to the side. At this angle, they can see the faint frown lines marking her face and the tight pursing of her lips; those crinkles in her forehead are exactly like the ones Felicity gets when she’s deep in thought. There’s a very strange yet infinitesimal instinct brewing, something that’s protective and caring and _fatherly_ , that Oliver doesn’t think he’s ever experienced before. He has to resist the urge to stride over to the bed and sweep Mia’s hair back from her face, or drape a blanket over her.

“She’s beautiful,” he hears Felicity whisper. She’s set up the lineage trace and slipped her laptop onto the top of the chest of drawers. Now, she’s leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, focusing entirely in on Mia, drinking her in. “And in the future, she’s ours.”

Oliver chuckles softly under his breath, ducking down to press a kiss to his wife’s crown. His lips linger there for a moment, savoring the affection, and then he brushes a kiss against her forehead as well. “Just as beautiful as her mom.”

“‘Mom’,” Felicity echoes, sounding awed. “Wow. I’m a mom. Or - going to be a mom. This is insane. It’s going to take a while to adjust to what tenses I need to use and how to figure out in my head that our present being her past and our future being her present and her past also being our future -”

The archer cuts off his wife’s nervous babbling with a tender, “Felicity,” stroking down her back.

“Do you think she’s going to try and lie to us?” she sighs.

“Most definitely.”

“I can already tell she’s going to lie badly. Like father, like daughter.” She shoots him an amused smile.

“I’m not bad at lying,” he protests.

“Are you sure, Mr-I-ran-out-of-sports-bottles?”

“You’ve gotta give me some slack for that one, honey, I was recovering from a Vertigo overdose at the time.” Oliver cocks his head, frowning at his daughter. “So we let her lie. Let her think she’s got us fooled, so she relaxes and we can ease from information from her. We are going to let her know that we know eventually though, right?” He’s not entirely comfortable with the idea of keeping secrets from Mia. Lying has become one of his worst vexes and he’s desperately trying to stop, and become a more honest person.

Felicity nods reassuringly. “Of course we will. For now, though, I think it would be better if we played along with whatever cover story she comes up with. We can poke some holes in it but we don’t want her to bolt.”

He’s about to suggest they head into the kitchen to enjoy the souffles he made earlier - that have probably sunk by now, the Queen heirloom engagement ring lost in the whipped cream - when Mia groans, twitching in her sleep. He narrows his eyes at her and gently shakes his wife’s shoulder. “I think she’s waking up.”

She is. Her eyes are beginning to move beneath her eyelids and she’s starting to shift, stirring.

 _Here we go_ , Oliver thinks, suddenly feeling very anxious as he grasps Felicity’s hand. He and Felicity are about to meet their daughter from the future.

* * *

Despite her disorientation as Mia gradually eases herself from the darkness into the light, she quickly becomes aware that she is no longer lying on the ground outside. Instead, she’s on a soft surface that feels like a mattress and the room she’s in is warm and heated - something she hasn’t experienced in a while, since central heating in 2041 is damn expensive and they can’t exactly afford it for the bunker, or her secret apartment, on their limited Team Arrow budget. Sure, she lives in the Queen mansion and is technically a millionaire, but she doesn't get access to her trust fund until she's 25 so has to be careful with money. She lifts her arm, which feels like lead beside her, to carefully prod at her wound. It’s been bandaged. By her parents. Because the Time Courier has taken her back to 2054, and she landed her in her parents’ backyard in Ivy Town. _Oh frack._

Mia jolts into an upright position. She immediately winces and chokes on a groan as jostling her injury by moving too hastily causes a sudden flare of pain to burn through her. Squinting at the sharp lights that assault her vision, Mia tries to shade her eyes while also glancing around. Barely a second later, she tenses, muscles bunching in preparation for a confrontation.

Her mother and father are standing at the foot of the bed, watching her suspiciously. Mia’s heart leaps into her throat, rendering her silent as she stares at them, wide-eyed. Felicity is standing slightly behind Oliver, who is shielding her protectively, and appears more curious than distrustful, while Mia’s father is all apprehension and hesitancy. They’re so, _so_ young. Mia thought they were young when she saw the 2020 versions of her parents, her dad in the old timeline before Crisis that she can remember, and her mother at Oliver’s funeral, but this is… 2015!Oliver and 2015!Felicity are like children, compared to their 2020 counterparts. They’re both wearing their wedding bands, confirming that this is the new universe reality, rather than the old one.

They’re so in love. It’s startling, actually, how good the two of them look together, how comfortable and relaxed they are around each other. For every miniscule move Oliver makes, Felicity shifts in response to it, her fingers curling over his shoulder. Mia never got to see her parents side by side, never got to see them interact. Now, she can clearly see why her mom always told her that she and Oliver were and are soulmates.

Eyeing them both warily, Mia begins to slide to the edge of the bed so she can stand. But she can't, because of how she's been handcuffed to the bed, which instantly makes her inhale with a fearful stutter. Immediately, her father raises his hands into the surrender position.

“Hey, don’t run,” he says calmly. Very slowly, he reaches forward to unlock the handcuff. He watches her like she's a wounded animal about to lash out at him the entire time, and then once her wrist is free, backs away from Mia hastily. “We’re not gonna hurt you, I swear. You ran last time and you slammed straight into a fence so maybe this time, we can skip past the flailing and trying to escape, and straight into the understanding that neither of us is going to harm the other.”

He phrases it more like a suggestion or weak order, rather than a question. Mia nods slowly in response, deciding to stay seated on the bed since her head is still pounding with a terrible headache. Time Couriers can do nasty things to your brain when you’re not expecting to jump through one of their portals. Her Time Courier is nowhere to be seen, but she has no doubt that her parents noticed it and picked it up. That is going to be very hard to explain, since in 2015, Team Legends haven’t been formed yet. Once they’ve determined between the three of them that no physical attacks or attempts to flee are going to occur, they all relax. Mia can’t help but notice that her mom keeps trying to lean forward in intrigue, but Oliver keeps holding her back.

“Hi,” Felicity greets her, tilting her head so she’s visible behind her husband. “I’m Felicity. This is Oliver. We are guessing you already know that considering -” She waves at what Mia is wearing, and her heart seizes because yes, she’s wearing her Green Arrow suit, “And, you know, the fact you said you’re from the future. Which is supported by the fact that you’re not registered on any database so apparently don’t exist in this time? Mia, isn’t it?”

Mia internally panics. She’s pretty sure that her parents from the past are not meant to know who she is, or that she’s from the future. The fact that they haven’t been able to find her identity so far is good, but she has to keep it that way. “N-No, I’m not from the future, I’m from Bloomfield, Connecticut. And I don’t know who you are.”

“If you don’t know who we are and you’re not from the future, then can you explain why you’re wearing that?” Oliver asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“It’s for a Halloween party.”

Her mother fails to hide her amused expression. “It’s the end of August.”

“A very early Halloween party.”

Mia bristles defensively when her father snorts. “Kid, just before you passed out after your fence incident, you told us you’re from the future,” he explains. “You don’t need to hide it. I’m guessing you’re the Arrow whenever you’re from. Don’t shake your head, it’s kind of obvious. That’s not a Halloween costume. That suit has a kevlar vest and sleeves built into the weave for deflecting projectiles, and that’s not at all cheap. The arrows in your quiver are aluminum carbon composites with specialized fletching - also not cheap.” Mia glances away in frustration, and after a moment, after her father has fallen silent, risks a look back at him. He’s regarding her with a surprisingly soft smile. “Those were some pretty good moves back there in the yard. You matched me blow for blow, and caught me off guard at the end there. Where’d you learn to fight like that?”

Well, she can’t tell him that Nyssa Al Ghul trained him, because Nyssa isn’t really their ally at this point in the timeline. And she definitely can’t tell him that he trained her. But Oliver and Felicity are waiting for an answer, so she doesn’t have time to think of an excuse for her excellent hand-to-hand combat skills. “My school held very intense PE classes,” is all she can come up with, under pressure. “And I’m not a kid. Don’t call me that. You can call me by my name, if you have to.”

“Which is Mia?” her mom crosses her arms over her chest with a smirk.

“Yes,” she grits out. She’s reluctant to reveal anything. She doesn’t want her Aunt Sara tearing down from the skies in the Waverider to lecture her on triggering a temporal aberration and dragging her back to 2041 by her quiver strap.

“Got a last name?” her father prompts.

She hates feeling trapped and she hates being interrogated. All of this is too much for her handle right now. “You ask too many questions,” Mia snaps, her patience wearing out. She’s overwhelmed and needs to get out of this stuffy bedroom to clear her thoughts and scrounge up a cover story that actually makes sense, before her parents figure out that they’re her parents.

She stands shakily and has to use the bed to steady herself as she shoves past her mom and dad - her arm that makes contact with her father as he brushes against her _tingles_ \- and heads into the depths of the house. They don’t try and stop her. They just follow her. She desperately needs some Tylenol and coffee to get her head screwed back on straight, so she staggers to the kitchen, clutching her injured side but relieved that it’s not as painful as before. Her father heads over to where two souffles are sitting on the counter to clear up the mess, and Mia freezes again briefly. Re-proposal night? But this time, instead of Laurel and Thea interrupting it, _she interrupted?_ Oh god. Now she definitely needs coffee. Some whiskey as well, but she doubts her parents will let her drink.

It doesn’t take her long to find their first aid cabinet and the cupboard where they keep mugs; the lay-out in this kitchen is almost identical to the one set up in the cabin she, William and her mom spent so many summers in and, in the old universe, was raised in. It doesn’t seem to escape her parents’ notice that she knows where everything is, because they exchange raised eyebrows.

Mia doesn’t know why she does it, but when she switches on the coffee-maker, she sets it to make three cups. A habit, she supposes, because when she, Will and Felicity were living together in the Queen mansion, they always used to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee together in the mornings before Felicity and Will headed off to work at Smoak Tech, and Mia went on her morning run. She messes up once again by accidentally preparing coffees for her parents exactly the way they like them; black with two sugars for her mom, and a spoonful of honey for her dad, something Felicity always told her he liked.

“It’s so obvious you know us in the future,” Felicity says, when Mia carries them over to the kitchen table, where they all sit.

Her mom and dad lean into each other’s sides without even thinking about it, Oliver’s hand settling on top of Felicity’s as he brushes his thumb over her knuckles. Mia slides into a chair opposite her parents, nursing her own strong black coffee as if her life depends on it.

“Not from the future,” she continues to try and insist. But Mia is beginning to think it’s just making her look stupid now. “Time travel doesn’t exist.”

“No, we know it does,” Felicity gives her a pointed look. “Speedsters can time travel.”

“I’m not a speedster. And I can’t time travel.”

“Oh yeah? What’s this then?” Oliver questions, fishing the broken Time Courier out of his pocket and waving it in the air.

Mia stares at it, another jolt of panic flying through her. There’s no in hell her mother hasn’t recognized the device as a piece of tech from the future. But she has to at least make an attempt to preserve the timeline and hide time travel from them, so “Vibrator,” escapes before her brain-to-mouth filter can kick in.

Her father _immediately_ drops it with a clatter on the counter, an expression of horror passing over his face.

“Hey, don’t break it even more!” Mia bursts out. “I need to fix and use that!”

And that… was not the best thing to say. Now distressingly pale, Oliver leaps out of his chair and hastily leaves the room. Wow. She might have actually just traumatized her father. Mia, who is now suitably embarrassed by the fact that _god, that was such a dumb lie_ , turns back to her mom sheepishly, who is howling with laughter in her chair, actually crying from the force of it.

“A vibrator?” Felicity gasps through her peals of laughter. “That’s the best you can come up with?”

Heat burns in Mia’s cheeks, and she’s certain she’s flushed red. “You already know what it is, you’re just trying to make me slip up,” she accuses, annoyed.

“It’s some kind of time travel device,” Felicity replies, wiping her tears from her eyes as she calms down. “Oliver, you can come back in now. Don’t worry, we’re not talking about vibrators anymore.”

Her father returns to the room, still looking as if he’s heard too much for his brain to process. He avoids making eye contact with Mia as he sits back down, curling his arm around Felicity’s and entwining their hands. Mia can only think that if he knew that she’s his daughter, he would just be even more mortified.

“Is every Arrow as bad a liar as you are?” Felicity asks Oliver, snickering.

 _It’s genetic_ , Mia thinks, but doesn’t vocalize. Both of her parents aren’t great liars, and she’s inherited that trait. “Green Arrow,” she corrects.

“ _Green Arrow_?” Felicity echoes. “Why the color signifier? Is there more one than Arrow in the future? Wait, you - you probably can’t answer that. C’mon, then,” her mother prompts her. “Who are you, really?”

She sighs. Okay, well, she has to adapt if they’re not buying her cover story. If she gives them little tidbits of the truth, they’re less likely to pry some of the more temporally sensitive information from her. “My name is Mia, last name classified, and yes, I am the Green Arrow in the future. I didn’t really mean to end up transported here… that device is called a Time Courier, something that will be invented soon, and I was in a bad situation, being chased with no means of escape, when I used it. And now I don’t have a way of getting back because the device is broken. Turning up here was entirely an accident, I swear. I had no intention of ruining your evening.”

Her father motions between him and Mia’s mother. “But you _do_ know the two of us.”

“Yes, I do,” Mia admits.

Her parents appear smug. Mia fakes looking resigned; she’ll let them think they’ve figured her out, because she’s still managing to keep her real identity a secret from them, and wants to keep it that way.

“What year are you from?”

She sends a disapproving look over at her mom. “You know I can’t answer that.”

“But can you give us a hint?” Felicity pouts.

What can she say, without giving too much away? “I’m Generation Alpha.”

Her father looks bewildered, but her mother rears her head back in realization and understanding. “You were born between 2011 and 2025. Or - _will_ be born.” Once again, her parents exchange a very loaded, heavy look, as if they’re telepathically communicating in some way. A wide range of emotions flits over both of their faces, too fast for Mia to keep up. She thinks, at one point, she sees both of them appear excited. “And I’m guessing you’re in your early twenties so I’m also going to take a gamble and say you’re from between 2035 and 2050.”

Oliver looks at Mia with a new light in his eyes. “You’re from over twenty years in the future?!”

She inclines her head in confirmation. Technically, she’s from twenty-six years in their future. “I can’t tell you what it’s like. Sorry.”

“I’m guessing in the future, I train you?” her father asks eagerly.

Mia’s been running these sorts of questions over in her head, anticipating she would get asked them, and she thinks she’s figured out a pretty solid cover story. Her League of Assassins training she could have got from her aunt, her archery and hand-to-hand combat skills from her father, and then every other skill can be passed off as being taught it by other team members. “You and Thea, yes.”

Oliver seems to accept this, nodding. “How did we meet? Why and when did I start training you as my protégé?”

Protégé… yeah, that’s a cover Mia can work with. “Ah, I sort of… fell into your lap by accident, when I was a child.” It’s not a lie. It’s a very twisted version of the truth, but it _is_ true. “Decisions were made that I needed to learn how to protect myself. One thing led to another and I ended up taking the Green Arrow mantel. With your blessing, of course. It’s complicated. There was more time travel involved and other superheroes and a huge battle...” A chill flutters down her spine. Mia drops her gaze to the counter, tensing. “I really shouldn’t say anymore.”

She falls silent. She’s definitely already said too much.

* * *

Oliver gazes at his daughter warily, after she quietens down. Her last sentence, a statement implying that she’s already told them too much about the future, was almost hissed at herself in self-loathing, berating herself for opening her mouth in the first place. Mia sits hunched in on herself at the kitchen table, her knuckles white because of how tightly she’s gripping her coffee mug, and now she’s refusing to look at the two of them. It pains him to see her looking so lost and small. A glance over at Felicity confirms that his wife feels equally as helpless; he can see that she wants to comfort their daughter, but doesn’t know how.

Maybe they did take the teasing a little too far earlier. It was incredibly entertaining to hear their daughter throwing such epically terrible lies on them, but somewhere in the mix, they started to irritate her. Now, she won’t even talk to them.

She did give them some information though that is helpful in understanding her situation. Oliver still can’t wrap his head around that his daughter is from over twenty years in the future. Moreover, he’s stunned by the revelation that he and Felicity will be having her within the next ten years. He reckons that Mia’s probably about 21 years old. She could be born in as little as five years’ time, really. That’s exhilarating but also terrifying to think about

At this point, Mia has abandoned her cup of coffee and is resting her tired head on her folded arms. They’ll have to get her some fresh clothes, since she can’t go around wearing her Green Arrow suit in broad daylight and her vest underneath is covered in her dried blood. And then, of course, they’ll have to figure out what to _do_ with her.

“You hungry?” Oliver asks her softly. “There’s some quiche leftover from brunch this morning if you want something quick to eat. Or I can whip up some pasta, or a tartine.”

“Oh, his tartines are divine,” Felicity sighs happily.

“I’m fine,” Mia mumbles. “Just thinking about my friends and family back home who are probably freaking out about me vanishing.”

Wow, Oliver didn’t even think about that. The Oliver and Felicity from wherever she is from must be panicking over their time-displaced daughter right now. And Mia said ‘family’... does she have siblings? He wants to ask, but also isn’t sure if he wants to know. Having too much knowledge of the future will be a heavy burden to bear over the next decade. It’s good to hear that Mia does have loved ones who care about her though, who worry about her. He wonders if she has a team, like he has his own. Does Mia have her own Felicity and Diggle? 

How exactly are they meant to get her back to whatever year she’s from, if her time travel device is broken? He can see by the way his wife is examining the equipment that she thinks she might be able to tinker with it, but they don’t have the materials for her to do that here. Felicity is the CEO of Palmer Tech now but has taken six months of leave, leaving the company in Curtis Holt’s hands, so she might be able to use some PT resources, and STAR Labs might have stuff they can use… but it’s not going to be easy to repair a device that hasn’t been invented yet.

Felicity starts to suggest that Mia go take a shower while she finds some clothes that will fit her when the doorbell rings. Oliver startles and instinctively lunges to grab a knife from the knife block, because they’re not expecting visitors. He’s shocked when he sees that Mia has done exactly the same thing, only she’s whipped a knife off the sink’s drying rack. Felicity glances between the two of them and Oliver can see by the enraptured glint in her eyes that she’s thinking about how alike they are.

“I’ll get it,” his wife offers, plucking her wedding ring off. They only ever wear them in private, and the rest of the time, they’re kept safely on chains around their necks. “It’s most likely one of the neighbors. You made quite a lot of noise when you crashed here out of your portal, Mia, somebody probably heard it and wants to make sure we’re alright. Stay out of sight?”

Mia nods, slowly putting the knife back down. She has a strange expression on her face. A knowing one. Once Felicity is out of the kitchen, heading for the front door, she turns to Oliver and tells him hushedly, “It’s Thea and Laurel. They’ve come to ask you to come back to Star City.”

Oliver does a double-take. “Why are you telling me that?”

“Because I remember M-Felicity telling me once that you almost had a panic attack when they turned up without warning and blindsided you back into things. Panic attacks suck and I don’t want you to have one this time. Oh, and, er -” Her face contorts into an apologetic grimace. “Sorry about interrupting the, you know, re-proposal. If it’s any consolation, you’re already married and she’s going to say yes again.”

Finishing on that note, Mia sneaks back down the corridor to hide. Oliver stands, shocked silently, gaping after her. Right. Of course, his daughter from the future would know about his and Felicity’s secret marriage and would know that he was planning on re-proposing tonight… it’s scary to think how much Mia probably knows about their lives, in how much detail. Did she grow up with them telling her stories about their lives? That’s incredibly weird to think about.

Before Mia ducks into the guest bedroom, he calls her name in a harsh whisper. She wheels around, quirking a questioning eyebrow. “If we _do_ go back to Star City, you’ll be coming with us,” he says. “Felicity and I will do whatever it takes to get you back home, you hear me? You’ll be safe with us; we can find you somewhere to live, give you money to live off, we can even do some training. And we’ll either get that time travel device of yours fixed, or we’ll find another method. We have your back.”

She stares at him. Her voice is hoarse with emotion as she replies thickly, “Thanks, Oliver.”

As she vanishes, closing the bedroom door quietly behind her, Oliver can’t help but wish that she said ‘thanks, Dad’, instead. He rubs his hands over his face with an exhausted sigh before quickly making sure that there’s no blinding evidence that they have somebody else here in the house with them, for when Laurel and Thea come in. Yes, if they do go back with them to Star City, they’ll have to introduce Mia to them anyway, but tonight is already overwhelming enough.

He hears faint voices conversing out in the hallway, so takes the opportunity to pluck Felicity’s engagement ring out of the souffle whipped cream, cleaning it off and shoving it into his pocket. Then, he pulls off his platinum wedding band on his finger and strings it back onto its chain, hiding it beneath his shirt. Their marriage is still wonderfully new, and they aren’t quite ready to let others know about it yet - especially considering it was a League of Assassins war wedding ceremony, so it might not be entirely legal in the USA.

“Oliver? Honey?”

The archer peers over his shoulder. Felicity is standing in the doorway, fidgeting with her hands nervously. And just as Mia predicted - or warned him about? - Laurel and Thea flank her, both appearing sheepish.

Felicity bites her lip. “You have visitors.”

“Hi, Ollie,” Thea whispers. “We… really need your help.” 

Oliver sets his shoulders, steeling himself. Here they go. Delving back into the darkness. Only this time, his and Felicity’s relationship is stronger than ever… and they have their daughter from the future by their sides.


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ..... listen. i done know i fucked up by not updating sooner. im SO sorry. life gets in the way, ya know? and then this coronavirus situation, yeah, this world is a mess. BUT my exams have been cancelled so hopefully i can update sooner next time. thank you for being so patient.
> 
> hope all of you are staying safe and as healthy as possible, wishing you ALL the best

Mia gazes out of the window as the world speeds by in a hazy blur, hyperaware that her parents are watching her while conversing quietly on the other end of the limo. The screen between the back and front provides them privacy. The three of them are heading back to Star City. Mia knew that this would happen, of course - having knowledge of the future is both a relief and a burden at the same time. She knows what’s lying in wait for Oliver and Felicity when they arrive back: Damien Darhk, HIVE, and their Ghosts, a judgemental team and a year that will quickly go downhill. In Central City, her big brother, who will only be a little boy at this time, is waiting to meet his father for the first time.

She’s borrowing her mom’s clothes for now, until they find time once they reach the city to take her shopping. Mia doesn’t usually enjoy wearing such bright and colorful clothes, but the black skinny jeans she’s paired with the royal blue top balances her out and makes her feel more like herself. Her Green Arrow suit, bow, and quiver are tucked into a duffel bag at her feet, within reach just in case she needs them. Driving back into Star City sort of feels like trekking back onto a battlefield.

She misses her Star City. She’s certain that Star City 2015 will be drastically different from her version in 2041, but the biggest change will be that she won’t have her wonderful brother or friends available to support her. William was a constant in her life as she grew up, and she feels off-kilter not having him here with her now - it’s even worse considering she can’t mention him at all to her parents, since they don’t even know of his existence yet.

Then… there’s JJ. Her fiance. But also her archenemy in the old universe timeline. Mia is kind of relieved Oliver and Felicity haven’t noticed her engagement ring yet - the ring that Oliver currently has in his pocket, ready to give to Mia’s mom when they get back to Star City, because Mia remembers the story. Their first night back, Oliver dropped to one knee and re-proposed to Felicity on his Queen mansion bedroom balcony beneath the stars. Terribly romantic. As a precaution, Mia has slipped her ring off and hidden it in her jeans’ pocket for now. She’ll find somewhere safer to keep it later.

“You okay?”

She turns to face her mom, who awards her with a hesitant smile. “Yeah, just lost in thought. Do you really think you might be able to fix the Time Courier?”

“Well, if I can’t, then we have friends at STAR Labs who might be able to,” Felicity replies, reaching over and giving her hand a supportive squeeze. “We’ll make sure you’re comfortable until the time comes where we’re able to send you back to the future, though, I promise.” 

“I know you will,” Mia nods, peering out the window again. They’re entering the city limits. She’s shocked by how run-down and derelict the streets are. Star City in her time is a paradise, the cleanest and safest city in America but this… this place is nothing short of a dump. 

Her father must catch her horrified expression because he informs her quietly, “The Glades and the outer parts of Star City are pretty neglected in our time. After the Undertaking, the Siege, the attack by the League last year… the city never finds the time or receives the funds it needs to recover. My mom is the mayor and it’s a constant battle for her to try and argue for the money they need to help rebuild. She’s invested some of the Queen fortune into opening new homeless shelters, community, and medical centers, and supporting emergency housing and small businesses, but she’s worried it will never be enough. The crime rate is just as low now as it was when I started out as the Hood, and the wide-spread poverty is even worse.”

Mia doesn’t really know what to say. “I’m sorry,” she offers quietly.

He heaves a sigh, glancing down at where his and Felicity’s hands are joined on top of his thigh. The dejected dullness in his eyes causes Mia’s heart to clench painfully. Her father has truly fought for so long already, for three years now, to try and make Star City a better place, but everything he’s just said makes her think that he considers himself a failure. “Makes you wonder what we’ve really accomplished.”

She wants to respond and tell him about how he, Felicity and Team Arrow do manage to save the city, in 2020, and from then on Star City is an incredible, wonderful place with low crime rates and essentially no need for vigilantes. But she can’t jeopardize the future like that - and she doesn’t know how she would field questions of why she has become a vigilante if the city is truly so amazing. Her father has and will make Star the safest and best place on the West Coast to raise a family… but he never got to enjoy it. He never _will_ enjoy it. Felicity will raise William and Mia in the Queen mansion, with the help of Moira, Thea, Emiko, Tommy and Roy, and their family will flourish, but always have a gaping hole in the middle of it.

“Mia?” She startles, blinking at her mom. “Sorry, didn’t mean to make you jump. We’re going to stop off at the Queen mansion to drop our bags off and grab some lunch before meeting with John, Thea, Laurel, and Tommy. Oliver and I will be living at the mansion with Moira until we find an apartment of our own, and I’m sure you’ll be welcome to stay with us.”

“What about Thea?” Mia asks, confused. She’s a Queen, and in the future, she lives with Roy at the mansion. Does she not live there now? She knows that Roy has gone into hiding in Coast City - or is it Bludhaven? She can’t remember - so isn’t in Star currently; even with her Grandpa Quentin as police captain, he wasn’t able to stop the commissioner’s hardline anti-vigilante approach last year and Roy was forced to take the fall for Mia’s father.

“She’s currently living with Tommy in a loft in the center of the city,” Oliver explains.

Ah, that’s right. Her aunt and uncle lived together in the Loft before it became the office for Smoak Tech when her mom started it up. Or _will_ start it up. Tenses are confusing when it comes to time travel.

Felicity tilts her head at Mia curiously. “How much do you know about our team?”

She has to be careful answering this sort of question. Focusing on what she knows about the earlier years of her parents’ lives as vigilantes, Mia tries to formulate a timeline in her head so she only mentions things occurring before 2015. “You two and John Diggle are Original Team Arrow, Tommy Merlyn started helping the team out after the Undertaking, you had Sara Lance and Roy Harper join the team in 2013, Sara left and was killed in October 2014, Thea and Laurel then joined the beginning of 2015, Roy left and went into hiding. So if I have my timelines right, Team Arrow currently consists of John Diggle, Laurel Lance, Thea Queen, Tommy Merlyn, the two of you, and Quentin Lance is Team Arrow’s sort of police contact, Moira is your inside woman in City Hall.” Counting down on her hand, she rattles through the personal relationships she knows have occurred, “Thea and Roy were together until he left, Tommy and Laurel were married but separated in May because she cheated on him, the two of you are together and secretly married, John and Lyla are married and have twins, JJ and Sara.” Pausing, she adds, “Did I miss anything?”

Both her parents are staring at her, eyebrows disappearing into their hairlines in their shock that she clearly knows a _lot_ about their team. “No, that just about covers it,” Oliver responds, impressed.

Thinking about her family and her parents’ friends has Mia thinking about how awkward and weird it’s going to be to interact with them. It won’t be anywhere near as eerie and mind-blowing as meeting younger versions of her mom and dad, she’s certain, but it’s bound to still be strange. It’s also going to increase the difficulty of her keeping her real identity a secret; a lot more lies to tell means a lot more opportunities for her to slip up. “What are you going to tell them about me?” she asks cautiously.

Her parents glance at each other and the intensity of the way they make eye contact makes Mia shift uncomfortably, wondering if they’re capable of some form of soulmate telepathy or empathy. Eventually, her father replies slowly, “We think there have been enough secrets between us and the team in the past year. If it’s alright with you, we would prefer to be forthright with them. Tell them everything that you’ve told us already. There’s no point lying to them about this.”

Mia exhales. “Okay. As long as they’re not going to try and interrogate me about the future, I can deal with that.” She observes as her mother and father both relax at that, smiling at her warmly. She can’t resist teasing them, “So if you’re being forthright from now on, you’re totally going to tell them that you got married in a secret ceremony the night Oliver joined the League of Assassins, right?”

The way her parents splutter at her for that is hilarious. They mock-glare at her the rest of the journey to the Queen mansion, and Mia is pretty sure she sees her mom pout at her one time, while mirth sparkles in her dad’s eyes. When they pull up at the estate gates, security waves them through without a delay. Mia finds herself tensing and her chest tightening as the limo weaves down the driveway and pulls up in front of the giant manor house’s porch. It’s incredibly odd to see the place where she grew up here in 2015, because it looks exactly the same as it does in 2041, as if it hasn’t aged at all. Her strangled inhalation seizes when she spots Moira Queen, her grandmother, waiting on the steps eagerly to receive them.

“Hey,” Oliver pokes at her knee gently. He must be able to sense her rising panic. “It’s okay. My mom’s nice. We told her we would have a guest and trust me, she _loves_ guests.”

Her father’s reassurance does help calm her nerves somewhat, but she still hesitates to clamber out of the limo as her parents slide out of the backseat and gather their bags from the small trunk. They have a mover’s van for most of their belongings from Ivy Town arriving later in the day, but have bought the necessities in a couple of suitcases just in case the van gets delayed. Mia just has her single duffel which she slings over her shoulder using the strap.

She hovers near the limo anxiously, watching as her parents approach her grandmother and greet her joyfully. Moira cups Oliver’s cheeks in a way that Mia remembers her doing to her when she was a child and is filled with warmth at the sight. Her father’s grin is gleeful as he embraces her, before he steps back and looks equally as happy when Moira squeezes Felicity in a tight hug. It’s been six months since her parents saw Moira. Moira is also the only one who knows about her dad’s plan to propose to her mom (although she’s unaware of the secret marriage, like everybody else) as Mia recounts the stories Felicity told her about how Oliver apparently approached his mom the night before they left Starling, asking her for the Queen family heirloom engagement ring. A ring that both Oliver and Mia have in their pockets, from two different points in time.

When her grandmother catches sight of her, Mia shuffles awkwardly on her feet, not knowing entirely what to do. Moira appears both intrigued and confused by her presence.

“Mom, this is Mia, the girl I mentioned over the phone,” Oliver jumps in to introduce them, returning to Mia’s side. She relaxes slightly when her father places his hand on her shoulder comfortingly, encouraging her forward.

“The one from the future?” Moira questions curiously.

Mia stands completely still, holding her breath, as her grandmother scrutinizes her. Her mom retreats back down the stairs and grasps Mia’s arm in a show of solidarity; she’s relieved that her parents, despite not even knowing they are her parents, are being so kind and supportive to her. Something appears to click in Moira’s mind, seeing Mia standing between her mom and dad, because her eyes widen in wonder and she utters a soft gasp, hand flying up over her mouth.

Blinking in shock when her grandmother rushes down the steps to grasp her hands, Mia’s brain short-circuits when her grandmother says graciously, “It’s an absolute honor to meet you, Mia. I have to admit, it’s very disconcerting to be interacting with my granddaughter from the future, but I can already tell you are absolutely wonderful.” Mia knows she must look like a startled deer in the headlights as Moira squishes her cheeks - exactly like how her grandmother used to when she was a baby - utterly horrified that her cover might have just been blown. Moira continues to worsen her situation by gushing, “Oh, you look so much like your mother with your blonde curls! And you’ve got your father’s dimples. And those beautiful green eyes, exactly the same as Thea’s -”

“Mom, you’re freaking Mia out,” her father cuts her off, his tone sharp enough that it causes Moira’s mouth to click shut immediately. “And you’ve got it all wrong. She’s my _protégé_ , not my child.”

Moira looks baffled. “Are you certain?”

“Mom.”

“But just _look_ at her, Oliver, she so obviously has Smoak and Queen genetics -”

“ _Mom_.”

“Let’s go inside,” Felicity whispers to Mia, who remains frozen in place, head spinning, as her father and grandmother engage in an intense staring match. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving, and Raisa makes the best grilled cheese, turkey and scallion sandwiches. We’ll just leave them to hash it out.”

Dazed and verging on starting to have a panic attack, she manages a nod. Edging past Oliver and Moira, she takes her mother’s offered hand so Felicity can lead her inside the mansion. She’s shaken. Her parents didn’t have any huge reaction when listening to her grandmother’s words, thankfully, so they still don’t think she’s their child from the future - and hopefully won’t start suspecting it anytime soon.

Mia can’t help but dread meeting the rest of the team now. If it truly is so obvious that she’s Oliver and Felicity’s child - so obvious that her grandmother can figure out her true identity in seconds - how well is she going to be able to keep up her charade? For how long will she be able to keep her Smoak-Queen daughter status secret?

* * *

Oliver feels like a teenager who was just caught sneaking weed into his bedroom again under his mother’s judgemental glower. He waits until Felicity has dragged a dumbfounded Mia inside the house and the front doors have clicked shut behind them before he groans in annoyance, rubbing his hands over his face.

“That girl is so obviously your and Felicity’s daughter, Oliver, and you can’t convince me otherwise.”

“She doesn’t want anybody to know who she is, Mom,” he tells her with a sigh.

Affronted, Moira crosses her arms over her chest and protests, “Well, _really_ , Oliver, if the three of you want to keep it a secret then you shouldn’t introduce her to anybody, you and Felicity should have hidden her away -”

“No, Mom, she doesn’t want _anybody_ to know,” the archer emphasizes. “Including Felicity and I.”

His mother’s disbelieving raised eyebrow makes him cringe. Yes, this is a very unusual situation. In his and Felicity’s defense, though, they did not think that somebody would so quickly figure out Mia’s identity.

“She doesn’t know that you know?” his mother asks, incredulous.

This is going to take a while to explain. Dropping his and Felicity’s suitcases on the top of the porch, Oliver offers Moira his arm and motions to the gardens. A long walk around the front lawn and rose garden will provide the time he needs to tell her everything that’s occurred in the last twenty-four hours. His mother, to her credit, is an excellent listener and doesn’t interrupt as Oliver informs her of everything he and Felicity know about Mia so far and also explains her cover story. Moira shoots him a cynical glance, wheeling around to face her son, when he tells her how they’re going to go along with the fabrication of Mia being his apprentice from the future, rather than his daughter.

“It’s not going to work,” Moira says.

“It could,” Oliver insists.

“It won’t,” Moira shakes her head. “Did you see her expression when I said she was your and Felicity’s child? She froze and didn’t know how to respond. She's terrible at lying.”

Oliver bristles on his daughter’s behalf. “She's not that terrible,” he defends.

His mother snorts. “Yes, she is. I bet she’s even worse than you, and that is saying something!”

“I’m offended.”

That just makes his mother snicker, poking him in the shoulder. “You should be. Really, Oliver, it’s cruel of you to let Mia think she's got you fooled when she’ll simply walk in to meet the team and they’ll instantly realize who she is. This farce is not going to last long. It's incredibly obvious she’s your child.”

“Because she looks so much like Felicity and me?” His lips tick up in a smile at that. Mia is just as beautiful as her mother, and Oliver didn’t notice the dimples before, but now he can absolutely see she got them from him.

“Yes, that and the mannerisms she’s obviously adopted from the two of you… oh, and the fact she is terrible at lying and could only possibly have inherited that from her father.” Oliver’s jaw drops and he starts to splutter a response, but his mother just swats his arm, urging him, “Go inside and meet Felicity and Mia to have lunch. Thea is expecting you to arrive on the bottom floor of Palmer Tech’s underground parking lot in an hour.”

Nodding, the archer runs his fingers through his hair that sticks up because of the humidity. As he begins to walk back towards the front of the mansion, his mother calls his name.

“We will be discussing this further. Especially if Mia is going to be born within the next ten years. Impatience might be one of my greatest character flaws. I want to meet my granddaughter _in the right time order_ as soon as possible.” Before he can turn away, embarrassed, she tacks sneakily on the end, “And I don’t see a ring on Miss Smoak’s finger.”

Oliver can’t help the blush that spreads over his cheeks as his face heats up. Said ring is burning a hole in his pocket currently. In Oliver’s opinion, the ring on the chain around Felicity’s neck representing their secret marriage is the more important piece of jewelry, but since only he and his wife know about that… everybody is waiting for him to propose.

“I was going to do it last night,” he mutters. “I cooked a fancy three-course dinner and there were candles and string quartet music and souffles… But then Mia arrived, and then Thea and Laurel…”

Moira bursts out laughing. “Your proposal attempt was ruined by your daughter from the future turning up?”

Oliver hates how hot his face feels. He just shakes his head, bowing it in embarrassment as he heads into the mansion. It doesn’t take long to find Felicity and Mia. His two girls are seated in the kitchen, munching down on sandwiches and artisan vegetable chips. Raisa must have made them lunch, as he can’t imagine Felicity putting together this sort of thing - and if Mia has inherited her mother’s terrible cooking skills, then she wouldn’t have been able to make those kind of sandwiches either.

Seeing his wife and daughter from the future sitting side by side, elbows brushing as they pick at the chips, causes his heart to skip a beat. They seem to be making small talk, Mia telling her mother about her economics degree and Felicity informing her about her work at Palmer Tech. Catching sight of him out of the corner of her eye, his wife turns and grins warmly at Oliver. She motions him over, pointing at a plate with a sandwich on the counter that must have been made for him. Mia perks up when he slides past her, glancing his hand over her shoulder affectionately, to pick up his lunch.

“Sorry about my mom,” he apologizes, perching on the edge of the table rather than taking a seat. “She tends to jump to conclusions quickly. She hears you’re from the future, sees your blonde hair and you standing between us -”

“And she thinks I’m your daughter,” Mia finishes. She offers him a tremulous smile. She’s nervous, incredibly nervous, that her cover has been blown.

“Don’t worry, I cleared things up with her.” It’s another not-a-lie. Mia’s relaxing shoulders indicate that she thinks that Oliver told Moira that she’s not his daughter - Oliver means that he explained to his mom that Mia doesn’t want anybody knowing who she is. Turning to his wife, he asks, “Since I presume Raisa made the sandwiches, did you speak to her about getting Mia set up in a room here?”

Felicity polishes off the last bite of her sandwich, licking the tips of her fingers teasingly. The way she maintains strong eye contact with Oliver the entire time causes him to smirk. The two of them startle, however, when Mia hastily clears her throat, shooting them both dirty looks. Oliver struggles not to snicker; right, of course their daughter doesn’t want to witness any sexual tension between them.

“Raisa’s going to prepare the Hornbeam suite for her, says it will be ready by this evening,” Felicity says. That’s an excellent choice. The Hornbeam suite is in the same wing as her and Oliver’s bedroom - along the same corridor, in fact, a few rooms down. Mia will be much more comfortable staying in a room close to her parents’, but far away enough that she won’t overhear them if they get up to anything. “She’s going to arrange for some clothes to be delivered as well for Mia to try on tomorrow. I think she knows we’ll be too busy dealing with the Ghosts over the next few days to take her to the mall.”

“Not just dealing with the Ghosts,” Oliver inclines his head. “Dealing with the team as well.” It’s going to be exhausting trying to explain Mia to John, Thea, Laurel and Tommy. Especially as John and he aren’t exactly on the greatest of terms right now because of what Oliver did under his Al-Sahim brainwashing, kidnapping Lyla and leaving baby JJ and Sara alone at home with only a League assassin watching over them. “Are you ready to meet them?” he questions Mia.

Mia nods, albeit hesitantly. She’s only eaten about two-thirds of her sandwich and maybe half a handful of chips. Oliver wonders if it’s her anxiety that’s causing her to lose her appetite and has to bite his lip to stop himself from becoming a nagging worried father and telling her that she should eat more. She glances between her parents, ducking her head and pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear in a disquieted manner. She’s fiddling with her hands as well on top of the table absentmindedly. Oliver wonders if those are Mia’s anxious tells, just like how his archery tick of rubbing his draw hand fingers and thumb together is his tell.

“If they ask me questions I can’t answer about the future and I start panicking, you’ll totally rescue me, right?”

“I’m more concerned over whether or not they’ll actually believe you’re from the future in the first place,” Felicity replies with a wince. 

Mia frowns. “You think they won’t?”

“Ah, John does not react particularly well when it comes to the unusual and impossible,” Oliver says, giving his daughter a wry smile. He doesn’t really know how to explain that John may also hate his guts right now, and hopes that Mia already knows that part so he doesn’t have to get into it. “Laurel can be prickly when faced with things she doesn’t understand. Tommy sort of gets a bit defensive and needs time to process. Thea is the one who will be asking you a million questions.”

Finally stuffing the last piece of her sandwich into her mouth - and Oliver has to admit that it’s a relief to see her eating well - Mia brushes crumbs off her lap and stands to take her plate and her mother’s over to the sink, to pile them up with the dirty cutlery. “So do you want me to answer them? As well as I can, of course, without jeopardizing the future.”

Oliver exchanges a look with his wife, and can tell by the fact she’s trying to hide an amused but concerned grin that she’s thinking the same thing he is. Mia is such a terrible liar - and yes… that might be genetic - that he doubts she’ll be able to keep up her cover story and lie efficiently to the rest of the team if she’s interrogated about the future. He and Felicity know that their daughter is going to continue trying to hide their identity; it’s not a problem if she slips up a little in front of the two of them, since they’ve already figured out who she is, but if she’s caught in a lie by Diggle, Tommy, Laurel or Thea... Mia will be in trouble.

“It, uh, might be best if you let us do most of the talking, since you’re a stranger to them. They’ll be more inclined to believe us than you, at the moment,” Felicity says diplomatically. “I would bring your suit, bow, and quiver though, that will definitely help convince them you are who you say you are.”

Once Oliver finished his lunch and Mia and Felicity have emptied the chip bowl, the three Smoak-Queens ( _wow, they’re the Smoak-Queens_ ) pick up a black sedan from the Queen mansion’s garage to drive to Palmer Tech. The archer drives, while the two women sit in the back talking about cooking and baking, two things that Felicity is abysmal at, and Mia apparently is as well. It gives Oliver time to think.

He’s never been to this hide-out, since it was set up after the Foundry was compromised, after he and Felicity left the city. He knows that Felicity somewhat supported the team setting it up. He also knows that Felicity has been helping them, especially for the last month, as the Ghost situation became much more extreme. She hasn’t tried to hide it from him; they are incredibly trusting of one another. Of course, he’s a little disappointed at the idea of Felicity having one foot in their new life and one foot back here in Star City, but knowing that she was making sure their friends and family were safe makes it much easier to stomach, and is actually quite reassuring.

When they get to the underground parking lot, Oliver is surprised to see Laurel and Thea waiting out in front of the service elevator. They look anxious and impatient, but relieved once the sedan is parked and Oliver and Felicity step out. Tommy and Diggle must be down in the hide-out, which is accessible only to them via the elevator because of the special keycards Felicity set them up with.

Ever the gentleman, the archer opens the car door and offers his hand to help his wife step out. Popping up onto her tiptoes, Felicity brushes an affectionate kiss against his cheek in thanks before heading over to the two women. Mia slides out after her mom - she hesitates to take her father’s hand. It causes Oliver’s heart to twinge, seeing the uncertainty on her face. But a beat later, his daughter slips her hand into his and accepts his support, shooting him a nervous but grateful smile.

As soon as Laurel and Thea catch sight of Mia next to him, he watches their hackles visibly rise, Laurel going on the defensive while his little sister narrows her eyes suspiciously. He walks out ahead of Mia to half-shield her from the two women as they approach, knowing she has to be anxious meeting them, although he presumes that his daughter already knows her aunt and Laurel in the future.

“Picked up a stray on your way home?” Thea asks lightly.

“Back in Ivy Town, actually,” Felicity quips, hugging her in greeting. Thea doesn’t know that Felicity is her sister-in-law yet, but is expecting her to be soon, so embraces her happily. “She showed up with a flash and bang just before you and Laurel did. And yes, I do mean that quite literally.”

Laurel blinks, confused. “What do you mean _literally_? She, what, appeared out of nowhere in your back yard?”

“Yes, actually,” Oliver replies. He sets a hand down on his daughter’s shoulder protectively. “This is Mia. She’s from the future, and she’s a time traveler, and she needs our help getting home. Until we find a way to fix the device that sent her here, she’ll be staying with us.” He pauses, taking in their astonished and disbelieving expressions and adds, “Oh, should probably mention that she’s on our team - _will_ be on our team. She’s the next Green Arrow, my protégé. So we don’t have to worry about secret identities. Just have to worry about being spoiled for the future.”

The two women stare at Mia in stunned silence. Felicity wraps her arm around Mia’s shoulders before Oliver can, sending her anxiety; despite the fact that Mia hasn’t even been born yet, he and Felicity have already become very attuned to her emotional state, as most parents are with their children. It’s strange to feel such a strong connection to her considering they met just yesterday.

“Is this is a prank, Ollie, it isn’t a funny one,” his sister eventually says.

“It’s not,” he confirms. “Felicity and I have been pretty much interrogating her since she arrived, thinking the exact same thing as you - this has to be a trick, or a trap of some kind - but it’s true.” He peers down at his daughter, prompting her gently, “Mia, show them your suit.”

She nods and drops the duffel to the floor so she can kneel and unzip it, showing them her green Kevlar weave suit, bow, and quiver. Thea and Laurel’s eyebrows shoot up and they tilt their heads, obviously considering the idea but still not fully convinced. Oliver expects Mia to close the duffel up and shoulder the bag once she’s done, but is surprised when she withdraws her bow and a single arrow. Handling the bow with ease, she reaches into the bag one last time before expertly nocking the arrow - to pick out a neon yellow tennis ball, which she chucks across the parking lot without hesitation. In a split second, she’s aiming and firing, her arrow slicing clean through the ball dead-center to pin it to the wall. Oliver is, secretly, absolutely delighted. His daughter is a _fantastic_ archer.

Laurel sighs. “There’s no doubt in my mind that she learned her skill with a bow from you.”

“You said she’s your protégé in the future?” Thea asks, tearing her eyes away from the pinned tennis ball to raise an eyebrow at her brother.

Oliver bows his head in a sincere nod.

“You, um, help train me, actually,” Mia offers tentatively to her aunt. “One of the things you always said to me was that because we’re smaller, we have to use our size and speed to our advantage. We’re lither than most of the criminals we go up against in the streets, but sometimes not as strong physically, so we have to be throwing knives, rather than broad swords. Sharper, faster, more accurate, and capable of aiming straight for the throat. If we spar later, I can show you how I’ve integrated your advice into my fighting style.”

It’s a great anecdote, and something Oliver can definitely see his little sister saying to her niece in the future. Wow, Mia is Thea’s _niece_. And they’re undoubtedly close to each other in Mia’s time, which is wonderful to think about. He adores the idea of his daughter having several independent, courageous, strong women to inspire her as she grows up.

Thea crosses her arms and cracks a smile. “Okay. I’m convinced. You are definitely a part of Team Arrow in the future. Are you related to somebody on our current team?” she questions, her eyes piercing but also containing a knowing glint, as they flit between Mia, Felicity, and Oliver.

Mia inhales sharply, tensing as she opens her mouth to respond - to categorically deny it, probably, but doesn’t get the chance.

“Well, of _course_ , she is,” Laurel rolls her eyes. “Just _look_ at her. The blonde hair, the green eyes... How could there be any questions about who’s kid she is? It’s obvious.”

Oliver is struck speechless for a moment, because out of everybody he thought might suspect that Mia is their future daughter, he wouldn’t have pegged Laurel for being someone to so quickly catch on. Felicity sneaks him a startled look, equally as dumbfounded. Mia, meanwhile, looks terrified.

“I - I don’t know what you’re thinking -” Mia begins to stammer, panicking.

“You’re mine and Tommy’s kid!” Laurel cuts her off gleefully.

Oliver _chokes_. Beside him, Felicity snorts and has to cover her mouth.

Mia? Bends over at the waist and starts dying from laughter.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed! would really appreciate kudos and comments :)
> 
> twitter: @lexiblackbriar


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